TASK FORCE 61
    VADM FRANK JACK FLETCHER

Task Force 11
     VAdm Frank Jack Fletcher
     Saratoga (FF) Capt DeWitt C. Ramsey
        Air Group 3 Cdr Harry D. Felt
           VF-5 LCdr Leroy C. Simpler  27 F4F-4
           VB-3 LCdr DeWitt C. Shumway  17 SBD-3 (15 operational)
           VS-3 LCdr Louis J. Kirn  15 SBD-3
           VT-8 Lt Harold H. Larsen  13 TBF-1
           Plus one additional Dauntless and one photo recon F4F-7
     TF 11 Screen
        RAdm Carleton H. Wright
        Minneapolis (F) Capt Frank J. Lowry
        New Orleans Capt Walter S. DeLaney
       Destroyer Squadron 1
           Capt Samuel B. Brewer
           Phelps LCdr Edward L. Beck
       Destroyer Division 2
           Cdr Francis X. McInerney
           Farragut Cdr George P. Hunter
           Worden LCdr William G. Pogue
           MacDonough LCdr Eric V. Dennet
           Dale LCdr Anthony L. Rorschach

Task Force 16
     RAdm Thomas C. Kinkaid
     Enterprise F Capt Arthur C. Davis
        Air Group 6 LCdr Maxwell F. Leslie
           VF-6 Lt Louis H. Bauer  28 F4F-4 (27 operational)
           VB-6 Lt Ray Davis  17 SBD-3
           VS-5 Lt Turner F. Caldwell  18 SBD-3 (16 operational)
           VT-3 LCdr Charles M. Jett  15 TBF-1 (14 operational)
           Plus one additional Avenger and one F4F-7
     TF 16 Screen
        RAdm Mahlon S. Tisdale
        North Carolina Capt George H. Fort
        Portland (F) Capt Laurance T. DuBose
        Atlanta Capt Samuel P. Jenkins
        Destroyer Squadron 6
           Capt Edward P. Sauer
           Balch LCdr Harold H. Tiemroth
           Maur LCdr Gelzer E. Sims
           Ellett LCdr Francis H. Gardner
           Benham LCdr Joseph M. Worthington
        Destroyer Division 22
           Cdr Harold R. Holcomb
           Grayson LCdr Frederick J. Bell
           Monssen Cdr Roland N. Smoot

Task Force 18
     RAdm Leigh Noyes
     Wasp (F) Capt Forrest P. Sherman
        Air Group 7 LCdr Wallace M. Beakley
           VF-71 LCdr Courtney M. Shands  25 F4F-4
           VS-71 LCdr John Eldridge, Jr.  13 SBD-3
           VS-72 LCdr Ernest M. Snowden  13 SBD-3
           VT-7 Lt Harry A. Romberg  9 TBF-1
           Plus one TBF from VT-8, one additional Dauntless and one J2F
     TF 18 Screen
        RAdm Norman Scott
        San Francisco (F) Capt Charles H. McMorris
        San Juan Capt James E. Maher
        Salt Lake City Capt Ernest G. Small
        Destroyer Squadron 12
           Capt Robert G. Tobin
           Farenholt LCdr Eugene T. Seaward
           Aaron Ward LCdr Orville F. Gregor
           Buchanan Cdr Ralph E. Wilson
        Destroyer Division 14
           Capt William W. Warlick
           Lang LCdr John Wilfong
           Stack LCdr Alvord J. Greenacre
           Sterett Cdr Jesse G. Coward
        Destroyer Squadron 4
          Capt Cornelius W. Flynn
          Selfridge Cdr Carroll D. Reynolds

LAND-BASED AIRCRAFT
Task Force 63
RAdm John S. McCain
     Marine Air Group 23 at Guadalcanal
     Col William J. Wallace, USMC
        VMF-223 Capt John L. Smith, USMC  13 F4f-4
        VMSB-232 Maj Richard C. Mangrum, USMC  11 SBD-3

11th Heavy Bombardment Group at Espiritu Santo
Col La Verne Saunders, USA  25 B-17E/F
Also at Espiritu Santo were elements of VP-11, VP-14, VP-23, and VP-72.
VP-11: 16 PBY-5A
VP-14: 2 PBY-5A
VP-23: 12 PBY-5A
VP-72: 3 PBY-5

67th Pursuit Squadron at Guadalcanal
Capt Dale D. Brannon, USA  5 P-400 (export version of P-39)

JAPANESE FORCES

COMBINED FLEET
    Adm Isoroku Yamamoto

Support Force Main Body (anchored in Truk Lagoon)
Yamato (F)
Taiyo

DesDiv7
Capt. Kaname Konishi
Akebono LtCdr Minoru Nakagawa
Ushio Cdr. Yoshitake Uesugi

Advance Force, 2nd Fleet
    VAdm Nobutake Kondo

CruDiv4
VAdm Kondo
Atago Capt. Matsuji Ijuin
Maya Capt. Shunsaku Nabeshima
Takao Capt. Bunji Asakura

CruDiv5
    Adm. Takagi
Myoko Capt. Teruhiko Miyoshi
Haguro Capt. Tomoichi Mori

DesRon4
    RAdm Tomatsu Takama
Yura Capt. Shiro Sato

DesDiv15
    Capt. Torajiro Sato
Kuroshio Cdr. Tamaki Ugaki
Oyashio Cdr. Tokikichi Arima
Hayashio Cdr. Kiyoshi Kaneda

DesDiv9
    Capt. Yasuo Sato
Minegumo Cdr. Yasuatsu Suzuki
Natsugumo Cdr. Moritaro Tsukamoto
Asagumo

detached from CarDiv11
Chitose Capt. Seigo Sasaki
7 Jakes, 15 Petes

Standby Force attached to 2nd Fleet, but not at sea
Junyo Capt. Shizue Ishii
Mutsu Capt. Teijiro Yamazumi

DesDiv2
    Capt. Masao Tachibana
Harusame Cdr. Masao Kamiyama
Samidare Cdr. Takisaburo Matsubara
Murasame Cdr. Naoji Suenaga
 

3rd Fleet, Carrier Striking Force
    VAdm Chuichi Nagumo

CarDiv1
    VAdm Nagumo

Shokaku Capt. Masafumi Arima
    Strike Group Commander LtCdr. Mamoru Seki
        27 A6M2 (26 operational) Lt. Hideki Shingo
        27 D3A1 LtCdr Seki
        18 B5N2 LtCdr. Shigeharu Murata

Zuikaku Capt. Tameteru Notomo
    Strike Group Commander Lt. Sadamu Takahashi
        27 A6M2 (25 operational) Lt. Ayao Shirane
        27 D3A1 Lt Takahashi
        18 B5N2 Lt. Jiichiro Imajuku

Destroyers drawn from DesRon10
DesDiv10
    Capt. Toshio Abe

Kazagumo Cdr. Masayoshi Yoshida
Yugumo Cdr. Shigeo Semba
Makigumo Cdr. Isamu Fujita
Akigumo Cdr. Shohei Soma
detached from DesDiv16
Hatsukaze Cdr. Kameshiro Takahashi
Unattached
Akizuki
 

Vanguard Force
    RAdm Hiroaki Abe

BatDiv11
    RAdm Abe
Hiei Capt. Masao Nishida
Kirishima Capt. Sanji Iwabuchi

CruDiv7
    RAdm. Shoji Nishimura
Kumano Capt. Kikumatsu Tanaka
Suzuya Capt. Masatomi Kimura

detached from CruDiv8
Chikuma Capt. Keizo Komura

DesRon11
    RAdm. Satsuma Kimura
Nagara Capt. Toshio Naoi

DesDiv4
    Capt. Kosaku Ariga
Nowaki Cdr. Magotaro Koga
Maikaze Cdr. Seiji Nakasugi

detached from DesDiv17
Tanikaze Cdr. Motoi Katsumi
 

Mobile Force
    RAdm Chuichi Hara

Ryujo Capt. Tadao Kato
    Strike Group Commander Lt. Kenjiro Notomi
        24 A6M2 (23 operational) Lt Notomi
        6 B5N2 Lt. Binichi Murakami

CruDiv8
    RAdm Hara
Tone Capt. Yuji Anibe

DesDiv16
    Capt. Kiichiro Sato
Amatsukaze Cdr. Tameichi Hara
Tokitsukaze Cdr. Giichiro Nakahara
 

8th Fleet, Outer South Seas Force
    VAdm Gunichi Mikawa

DesRon2
    RAdm Raizo Tanaka
Jintsu Capt. Torazo Kozai

DesDiv24
    Capt. Yasuji Hirai
Suzukaze Cdr. Kazuo Shibayama
Kawakaze Cdr. Kazuo Wakabayashi
Umikaze Cdr. Nagahide Sugitani

From DesDiv15
Kagero Cdr. Minoru Yokoi

From DesDiv17
Isokaze Cdr. Shunichi Toshima

DesDiv30
    Capt. Shiro Yasutake
Mutsuki Cdr. Hatano
Yayoi
Uzuki

Transport Force with 1500 troops
Kinryu Maru
Boston Maru
Daifuku Maru
Patrol Boat No.1
Patrol Boat No.2
Patrol Boat No.34
Patrol Boat No.35

Covering Force
    Adm Mikawa
Chokai Capt. Mikio Kayakama

CruDiv6
    RAdm. Aritomo Goto
Kinugasa Capt. Masao Sawa
Aoba Capt. Yonejiro Hisamune
Furutaka Capt. Araki Tsutau
 

6th Fleet
    VAdm. Teruhisa Komatsu

At Truk:  Submarines at sea in Solomons area
SubRon1
    RAdm. Shigeaki Yamazaki

I-9 (F) Cdr. Akiyoshi Fujii

SubDiv2
    Capt. Hiroshi Imazato
I-15 Cdr. Nobuo Ishikawa
I-17 Cdr. Kozo Nishino
I-19 Cdr. Takaichi Kinashi

SubDiv4
I-26 Cdr. Minoru Yokota

SubDiv15
I-31
I-33

SubRon7
    RAdm. Setsuzo Yoshitomi, in tender Jingei, at Rabaul

SubDiv13
    Capt. Takeharu Miyazaki
I-121 LtCdr. Yasuo Fujimori
I-122 LtCdr. Sadatoshi Norita
I-123 LtCdr. Makota Nakai

SubDiv21
    Cdr. Tsutau Fujimoto
RO-34 LtCdr. Masahiko Morinaga

SubRon3
    Capt. Hanmazu Sasaki
I-11 Cdr. Tsuneo Shichiji

SubDiv11
I-174
I-175
 

11th Air Fleet at Rabaul
    VAdm Nishizo Tsukahara

25th Air Flotilla 5th Air Attack Force
    RAdm. Sadayoshi Yamada
Tainan Air Group Zeroes
2nd Air Group Zeroes, Vals
4th Air Group Bettys
Yokohama Air Group Mavises
14th Air Group detached Emilys
26th Air Flotilla 6th Air Attack Force VAdm. Seizo Yamagata
6th Air Group detached Zeroes
Misawa Air Group Bettys
Kisarazu Air Group Bettys
approximate strength 24 August: 51 Zeroes, 41 Bettys, 9 Vals, 2 Irvings, 8 Mavises, 3 Emilys: 114 total

Primary Source
Guadalcanal: The Carrier Battles by Eric Hammel, Crown Publishers, 1987.
Original research by Mark Horan